Hey all! Today I want to take a break from writing about my recent trip to Paris and Rome, and share a peek of what I’ve been up to since returning stateside. Blog-wise, it looks like I’ll be in Europe through the end of the year, and I’m in no hurry to stop writing about my favorite place in the world!
That doesn’t mean I’ve stopped adventuring around my adopted hometown of Orlando, however! September was a very busy, very exciting month, both in my blogging and in my personal life. It started off with the wedding of a good friend, quickly followed by Dan’s birthday weekend, and finally a visit from my younger brother Jared. September also marked the beginning of two of my favorite seasonal theme park events: Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando, and the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World! Because these events have a limited run, I wanted to jump right in and share them while they are still going strong. First up is the 2016 Epcot Food and Wine Festival!
If you’ve never heard of the festival, check out my post on the 2015 Food and Wine Fest. In that post, I cover the when and where of the festival, share some mouthwatering food pics, and offer some advice for seasoned and first-time festival-goers alike.
This is my tenth year attending the Epcot Food & Wine Festival (what!?) and it’s an event I never tire of. Simply put, it’s a collection of themed booths scattered around Epcot’s World Showcase, each serving up a selection of food and wine that best represents the unique styles of various countries. In one afternoon, you can sample roasted duck from China, escargots from France, spanakopita from Greece, and so much more!
In addition to booths representing 22 countries, this year’s festival features specialty booths dedicated to wine and cheese, chocolate, local beers, champagne and desserts, and the flavors of Florida. There are even a couple of booths hosted by the television show The Chew! In total, there are 30 festival booths. (For those counting their festival stamps in confusion, I do not include stops at Refreshment Ports, Joffrey’s coffee stands, etc. They may have food and wine options, but I hardly think grapes and Mickey pretzels qualify as international food offerings.) Many of the food and drink offerings remain consistent throughout the years, while new booths and food options encourage visitors to return year after year.
I’ve been to this year’s Food and Wine Fest four times since it opened a little over two weeks ago, and I’ve had the chance to sample items from half the booths so far. I make it a goal to visit each booth at least once, and I’ll be updating this post as I add stamps to my festival passport.
Of course, a trip around the world can get very expensive. These sample menus, seen around World Showcase, are a good indicator of what you can expect to pay for all these tasty little morsels.
My number one money saving tip here is simply to skip the drinks, which can cost upward of $10 per (sample-sized!) glass. Another good way to control festival spending is to load up a Disney gift card, available at most gift stores around the resort, and stick to the amount on that card. Of course, one of the perks of being a Walt Disney World passholder is that I can visit the festival as often as I like, and spread my spending over several trips. Money-saving tip number three is to split dishes with your friends! Between Dan and I, we usually manage to try most of the more expensive cocktails at least once, something I would not attempt on my own.
With that said, let’s quit talking and take a peek at some of this year’s festival dishes! Remember to check back for more photos as the event progresses, and comment below with your favorite festival dish!
And while you might not guess it from the name, there’s more to the Food and Wine Festival than…well, food and wine. There are concerts, drink seminars, cooking classes, meet and greets, and even entire wine bottles for sale. Not to mention, all the everyday attractions of Epcot remain open, such as the newly revamped Soarin. I recommend a ride on Living With the Land for a firsthand look at where a lot of the Festival food is grown. I won’t talk too much on those topics here, but if you are curious about all the extra features of the annual International Food & Wine Festival, make sure to check out my 2015 Festival Roundup!
This year’s festival runs through November 14, 2016, so there’s still plenty of time to get out there and taste the world for yourself. I’ll see you there!
Kelly Page (@TastingPage) says
Happy 10 year festival anniversary – that’s impressive. Love the looks of the scallop and the baked mussels. Yum!
Adventuring The Great Wide Somewhere says
Two of my favorite options! 😀
mappingmegan says
I would love to get to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival one year! 10 years running, that’s impressive! Pretty good testimonial for it just in that! I think the spread from NZ wins in my eyes this time!
Adventuring The Great Wide Somewhere says
That’s true, I hadn’t thought of it that way. And those mussels are so good!
Heather Cole says
My goodness, think I wouldn’t need to eat for a week if I visited the festival! Sounds amazing, and I love the idea of a passport getting stamped, so much fun. Been hearing a lot about Epcot these last few months, definitely sounds like the place to be!
Adventuring The Great Wide Somewhere says
I love the passport, too! This is definitely one of the best times of the year to visit.
wanderingwagarschristina says
This is amazing! I had no idea a food and wine festival occurred at Epcot. I think I could spend a whole week exploring Epcot with this festival going on.
Adventuring The Great Wide Somewhere says
Oh, it’s very possible, ha! I go to Epcot once every week or two when the festival is here!
Sue Reddel says
We missed the festival by one day last year when we were in Orlando. We were so bummed. Now I’m really bummed because you really illustrate how good it is. What a brilliant way to taste your way around the world! Thanks for the tips on the cocktail prices – best to just enjoy one (or two) and really sample all the wonderful food.
Adventuring The Great Wide Somewhere says
Absolutely! You can drink at Epcot any old day, but the small plates are what I really look forward to. I really do hope you make it out soon. The Flower & Garden Festival in the spring is excellent as well. There are less food and drink options, but the park is even more beautiful covered with gorgeous flowers and topiaries.
karyld2016 says
Oh my gosh this looks like such an amazing time! I’ve never been to one of these huge food & wine festivals, but they look like so much fun. I don’t even know where I would start though!!
Adventuring The Great Wide Somewhere says
The hardest part is just pacing yourself! With so many tempting options, it’s hard not to splurge all at once. 😛
Julie Cao says
I have idea that the food and wine festival even exist in Disney. As a wine enthusiast. I would like to eat there all day every day, and your passport stamps look so neat and organized. The idea of the passport stick definite work. .
Adventuring The Great Wide Somewhere says
It is a little unexpected, now that I think about it. You wouldn’t really expect a foodie event like this at Disney, but I’m not complaining!
mathewsalex says
I’ve always wanted to go here. You took some stunning photos!!
Adventuring The Great Wide Somewhere says
Thank you so much! It’s a nice way for me to “travel” without spending a load of cash, ha! Hope you make it out soon!
Tina says
Oh my, I’m droooling just looking at these pics. It certainly beats any food and wine festivals we have down here in Australia.
Adventuring The Great Wide Somewhere says
Oh, I don’t know about that. Just the thought of an Australian food fest has my mouth watering!
nparise says
How cool! I have never been to Epcot, but I have only heard great things. This event seems totally up my alley! Love the photos, I am drooling!
xx nicole
http://www.nicoleparise.com
Adventuring The Great Wide Somewhere says
Epcot is great because it has something for everyone, and this Food & Wine Fest really emphasizes that idea, I think. 🙂
Aisha says
This Food & Wine festival looks like perfection! The photos made my mouth water, each dish looked absolutely delicious! Definitely something I need to check out! Thanks for sharing!
Aisha Sylvester says
This festival looks like perfection! The photos made my mouth water and each dish looks so yummy! Definitely something I need to check out 🙂
Marie says
Wow, this looks epic! One of my favorite reasons to travel is for the food but you’ve manage to have it all in one place 🙂
Adventuring The Great Wide Somewhere says
Yep, it’s one of the reasons I love the event so much! It can get a little pricey, but at least I didn’t have to spend loads of money on airfare, hotels etc. to get a taste!
Sarah Stierch says
I have always wanted to attend this event, really the only reason I’d step place inside Disney anything at this point in my life. Do they have a ticket you can buy where you don’t have to buy the food? Like a flat VIP rate or something?
Adventuring The Great Wide Somewhere says
Like an unlimited food pass? Unfortunately not, though I shudder to think how much that would cost, ha! There is something called the Tasting Sampler that sounds interesting. Basically it includes a preset number of tickets/vouchers that can be exchanged for food and wine items, as well as perks like a collectible pin and VIP seating at one of the event concerts. I have not tried it for myself, so I cannot vouch for it, but it seems like a decent value if you spend the vouchers on the priciest items, like the lobster roll or the filet mignon. Here is a link, if you are interested: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/epcot/food-wine-festival-tasting-sampler/
The World in a Weekend says
I didn’t know about this but love going round the world sampling the drinks! But add in wine and cheese, chocolate, local beers, champagne and desserts – that’s a winner for me! Such a great way to sample the amazing food of the world! Hope you enjoyed it!
Adventuring The Great Wide Somewhere says
It’s hard to settle down and stick to a budget here, that’s for sure! Thanks for stopping by!
Ashley says
I was in Orlando at the beginning of the month and had the pleasure of also partaking in Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival. You’ve captured just how scrumptious and fun the experience was!
Adventuring The Great Wide Somewhere says
Ashley, that’s great! It’s such a good time, and so hard not to just eat everything! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
nycgingeronthego says
I visited the festival last weekend and was really disappointed with it. Entry to Disney is over $100 and coming from NYC where we have great food from around the world, I found some of the food I tasted at epcot purely inedible. Really disappointing experience for someone just visiting the area for the day.
Adventuring The Great Wide Somewhere says
I can understand that. I have automatic payments for my annual pass, which makes a festival visit SEEM free. Buying all that food on top of the ticket price can get up there in price, and I agree that some of the food items are not spectacular. We always joke that the food in Italy tastes like it was made by Stouffers and microwaved in the back. Coming from NYC, I can understand your disappointment. I have yet to visit, but would love to eat my way around the city one day soon!
Anastasia says
Oh my, this post can make anyone hungry, and more so for two things: for excellent food and actually for travelling to those countries where it comes from! Thank you for sharing such an excellent visual report, now I hope I can make it next year too 🙂
Radif Rahman says
I just love to travel and love to read travel related articles. Your post is so informative and photos are stunning.
Sarah says
Wow! I haven’t eaten breakie yet as I’m reading this with my morning coffee… I am so hungry now! I especially want the tuna tartar!
Adventuring the Great Wide Somewhere says
Mmmm coffee sounds so good right now. And yes the tuna was so tasty! Can’t wait for this year’s festival to amp up!
Tatiana Sieff says
I AM SO HUNGRY NOW. Why isn’t there cool things like this where I live 🙁 Looks amazing!
Adventuring the Great Wide Somewhere says
Ha! It’s one of the things I will miss most about Florida whenever I move on, that’s for sure! There is always something new and exciting happening around here!
Agnes says
I was not aware of the Epcot food festival but looking at the pictures, I can see you really had a good time. The food looks yummy!
Adventuring the Great Wide Somewhere says
It’s one of my favorite times of the year to be sure! Epcot is beautiful any time, but being able to sample items from the countries represented makes it even more immersive and fun!
Anjali Chawla says
I visited Walt Disneyland, Orlando last autumn but missed the the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. Your pics make me regret that. Chocolate flan looks so so yummy. It must have been a great experience. I wish to attend it sometime.
Adventuring the Great Wide Somewhere says
Fall is a great time to visit! Spring is awesome as well if you want milder weather. Epcot has a spring festival as well, the Flower and Garden Festival, that has plenty of tasty food options and some beautiful topiaries and floral displays.
Talie says
I absolutely adore Walt Disney World and long to go to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival (being a lover of both food and wine!) – your post made me feel like I was there!
Adventuring the Great Wide Somewhere says
Disney + food + wine = a perfect day. I look forward to this event every single year! Hopefully you are able to see it for yourself one day soon. If not, there’s always the Flower and Garden Festival in the spring! Food, wine, and gorgeous flowers everywhere you look!
TONIA L CLARK says
I Love that they provide you a passport to put ‘stamps’ in, what a lovely souvenir to hold on too and help keep track of where you’ve been! I’ve been to Disneyworld but we never made it to Epcot sadly. I’ll have to add this to my bucket list for sure!
Kobby says
I didn’t know of Epcot food festival but all that food in one place!? This must be interesting and seems expensive but thanks for your money saving tips. I love all these beautiful pictures of food too.
Adventuring the Great Wide Somewhere says
Oh it definitely gets expensive if you’re not careful! I always recommend coming prepared with cash or a preloaded gift card so you’re not tempted to overdo it!
Maria says
Didn’t know about this festifal but oh my God, everything looks just perfect! My mouth’s watering… seems like it is a great experience to be there 🙂
Adventuring the Great Wide Somewhere says
It’s awesome! Walking around the “countries” of World Showcase and being able to sample some of the dishes each place is known for is so fun!
Margarette Puno says
Oh my! These foods are all delicious! I am drooling and getting hungry right now. Yum!
Adventuring the Great Wide Somewhere says
Haha! Glad you enjoyed the post.
Courtney Coughlan says
I absolutely love food and wine festivals!! Although I have such a hard time picking my favorite things to eat… The duck confit looked amazing though! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Adventuring the Great Wide Somewhere says
Narrowing it down to a few choices is the hardest part of attending the festival for sure! Talk about first world problems, ha! That confit was sooo tasty, and I just loved the polenta it was served with!